Decaf Colombia Caldas

Sun DriedCaturra and Castillo Varieties1660 MASL

This Columbian decaf coffee comes from a natural decaffeination process done in a plant located in the city of Manizales: Descafecol.

The ethyl acetate used in the process, comes from the esterification reaction of acetic acid with ethanol deriving from fermentation processes of cane molasses, which are in turn organic waste from the manufacturing process of sugar in the sugar mills of the Valle del Cauca.

The remaining residual acetate in the coffee with this plant process has always been an average of 1.0 ppm, which is very low due to the fact that the international standards of quality for this aspect range around 10 ppm. The water used in the process comes from the natural springs in the mountains where the plant is located and is not treated any different than sandblasting and clarified by settling.

Descafecol only uses high quality beans for this process, to assure that you enjoy the great attributes of our Colombian coffee, just without the caffeine.

El Salvador Beneficio Columba

Metepán, Santa Ana

Sun Dried Natural Process on raised beds

Bourbon and Catuaí Varieties

1650 MASL

Farmer: Mario Valiente, Sr.

Columba is located in the western part of El Salvador in area known as the "golden coffee belt". It was the first region to cultivate coffee in El Salvador and continues to be the country's largest producer. In fact, much of the local development, including the construction of cities, cathedrals, railways, and highways, was financed through the production of coffee.

Footpaths cutting through the forested mountainsides crisscross coffee farms at elevations ranging from 1,300 to 1,700m above sea level. The climate is tropical and humid with an average temperature of 68°F, and due to the region’s biodiversity it has been named a world biosphere reserve by UNESCO. In 2005, the Santa Anna volcano (also known as the Ilamatepec volcano) erupted and spewed volcanic ash over the region, which shut down coffee production for almost two years but simultaneously enriched the soil for future cultivation. The coffee harvest here runs from October to April.

Beneficio Columba is managed by Mario Valiente Sr., one of seven brothers from a fourth generation coffee producing family. The station processes coffee via washed, honey, and sun-dried natural methods.

The farm supports 20-30 permanent employees, as well as employs some 200 workers during harvest season. While their community development projects and attention to quality make them a big player in the El Salvadorian coffee sector, this coffee shines considerable light on the producers who are pushing the envelope on process and varietal innovation.

ASUVIM is a small coffee growers association integrated for 93 members of the ethnic group, Maya Kiché. Establishing shed in 1999, approximately 25 members are women. The main objective of the Association is to collaborate to produce and commercialize high quality shade grown coffee and contribute to the preservation of Lake Atitlan.

Candace, from Kapeh Utz, works as a medical missionary in Guatemala. Here are some of her own words on the coffee they buy from ASUVIM.....

We've been visiting/getting to know the ASUVIM coop for about 4 years now. I first visited them while out on the west side of the lake getting to know other coops. That was the year we purchased from the ladies of Pasajquim. ASUVIM was only exporting to Europe at that time. While driving down the road, ran into a guy that worked at the coop and he told us to drop in for a visit and we did. ASUVIM has beautiful facilities, their own wet mill, large patios and a dryer, that they say they rarely use.

Santa Clara is a beautiful area, but not lakeside, so from where I work, I take a boat into San Juan and then it takes a couple hours in a pickup to get to Paquip where the coop is located. Two years ago we sampled their coffee, with the idea of purchasing it. It is a very classic Atitlan coffee, lemony and bright. However that was the year we were introduced to Tzampetey and when sampling the two against each other, hands down Tzampetey was our choice. Two years ago ASUVIM's crop was tart, beans were small (due to altitude), but we were still trying to gain leverage in selling green and were concerned roasters would look at the bean and not taste the cup.

Last year we had the opportunity to purchase their coffee, ended up handing out all of the samples that we had and so ended up purchasing 50 sacks blind, without cupping. We knew we liked their coffee in the past, and we love what they do, so everything just fell into place.

Most of their coffee comes with its organic certification, but our lot didn't. However, I am confident that they use organic practices and organic fertilizers. However, without paperwork, I'm not comfortable promoting it 100% organic.

ASUVIM was #6 in the Cup of Excellence in 2009 and #19 in 2010. They didn't submit in 2011.

Great coffee and an awesome coop doing some great things in their community!

CandaceKapeh Utz

Subscribe

Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates.

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

We respect your privacy and will not share, sell or abuse your information.

Amazing coffee should have beautiful and unique stories to enliven and enrich the experience. This coffee, grown by Traudel Gehrmann Mick high in the mountains of Peru, is no different.

During WW1 & WW2, many Germans, especially farmers, found themselves looking for places in the world to settle, away from the dangers and concerns of war. Peru welcomed them with open arms and provided these immigrants with a place in the Northeast part of the country to settle and establish themselves. Villa Rica, one of the towns that was settled during this time, still has a population of around 90% percent with German heritage. Traudel’s father was one of these immigrants, and their family began to work a plot of land, planting it with coffee. Passing down coffee farming was important to her father and he taught her to grow and produce excellent coffee from a young age.

Traudel inherited a portion of this land and together with her husband, grew and maintained Finca Santa Josefa. As with many Latin American countries, Political unrest and violence began breaking out across Peru. The country experienced internal conflict between political factions and the Peruvian Army from the early 1980’s all the way through to 2000. During this time, Traudel’s husband was killed and she fled the farm for Lima, Peru’s Capital, which was much safer. After many years, she remarried and once the conflicts were over, she and her new husband returned to the farm and began revitalizing the operations. Things were progressing very well until tragedy struck once again, this time Traudel had developed cancer and had to leave the farm once again for several years of treatment and rehabilitation. Finally, after surviving her cancer, Traudel and her husband began once again to explore their passion for producing coffee.

This coffee is a result of that passion and a long standing dream to work in harmony with the land to produce unique and exceptional coffees. They began separating different coffee varieties into specific lots around 4 years ago, namely Red and Yellow Caturra, Catuaí and Pacamara. This lot is not only 100% Pacamara, but it is also the first harvest that it has been available. Santa Josefa also has its own wet mill and processing facility, where they are able to oversee every step, making sure the coffee will taste its best from sorting the cherries to drying the parchment on their patio. They have also ensured that all of their farmworkers are payed fairly and that they use the strictest environmental procedures by becoming Rainforest Alliance certified.

El Salvador Beneficio Columba

Metepán, Santa Ana

Sun Dried Natural Process on raised beds

Bourbon and Catuaí Varieties

1650 MASL

Farmer: Mario Valiente, Sr.

Columba is located in the western part of El Salvador in area known as the "golden coffee belt". It was the first region to cultivate coffee in El Salvador and continues to be the country's largest producer. In fact, much of the local development, including the construction of cities, cathedrals, railways, and highways, was financed through the production of coffee.

Footpaths cutting through the forested mountainsides crisscross coffee farms at elevations ranging from 1,300 to 1,700m above sea level. The climate is tropical and humid with an average temperature of 68°F, and due to the region’s biodiversity it has been named a world biosphere reserve by UNESCO. In 2005, the Santa Anna volcano (also known as the Ilamatepec volcano) erupted and spewed volcanic ash over the region, which shut down coffee production for almost two years but simultaneously enriched the soil for future cultivation. The coffee harvest here runs from October to April.

Beneficio Columba is managed by Mario Valiente Sr., one of seven brothers from a fourth generation coffee producing family. The station processes coffee via washed, honey, and sun-dried natural methods.

The farm supports 20-30 permanent employees, as well as employs some 200 workers during harvest season. While their community development projects and attention to quality make them a big player in the El Salvadorian coffee sector, this coffee shines considerable light on the producers who are pushing the envelope on process and varietal innovation.